Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1908: 411 (1908).- Type: Thierry 92, Sénégambie (holo- K).
Regional litterature: FTA 9:254 (1919); Clayton, FWTA 3(2): 488 (1972); Fl. Mauritania: 440 (1991); Gram. Cameroun: 440 (1992); Pl. Mauritanie: 308 (1998); Pl. Burkina Faso: 69 (2012).
Description:
* Annuel of 0.3-1.5 m high, often purplish. Culms branched at the base. Leaves linear, 10-15 cm long and 3-5 mm wide, often narrowed towards the base into a false-petiole of up to 25 mm, shortly pubescent, bords scabrid; auricles short and sheaths wide; ligule a ciliolate membrane.
* Inflorescence a spatheolate panicule of 15-50 cm long with racemes paired, subtended by a spatheole; spatheoles ressembling sheaths but less developed, lanceolate, 6-8 cm long. Racemes 3-5.5 cm long; rhachis fragile, ciliate on the margins; internodes oblong, tip transverse. Pedicels inflated, almost ovoid, 4 mm long and 1.8 mm broad, ciliate on both sides, tip bilobed.
* Sessile spikelets lanceolate, 6-6.5 mm long. callus obtuse, pilose. Lower glume lanceolate, chartaceous, laterally keeled with 7-8 intercarinal veins, flat and with longitudinal median groove; upper glume muticous, margins ciliate. Lower lemma hyaline, oblong; upper lemma oblong, 3.5 mm long, bifid with the geniculate awn of 15-22 mm long from the sinus; column twisted, glabrous. Anthers 3, 3.5 mm long. Pedicelled spikelets well developed, elliptic, 6-6.5 mm long with an awn of 1-4 mm long.